teelack

I hope that the management of these clubs see your comments. Its really amazing that people can spend a small fortune setting up a new place only to get reviews that say in essence " We were ignored" and this i know is so true. What makes this so real is that in theory whilst all clubs have the same pool to draw the ladies from some seem to have the management nous to get the girls interactiive and some just dont bother and of course the inevitable outcome is that these places just die from customer apathy. I have now been to the Kinnarree a few times and its always pumping and its interactive even for us older guys and thats why I know that these places can work but only if there is a will by the management to make it happen.

Good point. All up 300 baht for a few minutes extra.

Hi there. I used to go to departures as well but really its a waste as its the same price with T, Toom or whoever, 1000 baht.. I also got a car from a tout (big older BMW ) for 1200 baht earlier this year just hanging around gate 3 incoming.

Has anyone stayed here of late? It seems to have been under re-constuction for ever but I noted in September that it was looking better at street level. I did stay in both the hotel and the residence in past times but ended up staying only at the Residence as the hotel rooms I got were crap. The pool was also one of the worst. I love the location and if this place has improved I would stay there again. If its more of the same then I will give it a miss.

The great thing about Bells is that fact that it is sometimes an option. I see it as simple as this. If I can catch a Bells I do and if not I take a cab. Whats the worst that can happen if you dont make a cab booking? There are always people around that will take you for 1000/1200 baht. The thing is that the plane could be late, the queues excessive and the baggage delayed. There is no need to make a booking in most instances. I am rather lucky in that all my return flights take place whan a Bells bus is handy for me I so know for sure thats its only a 300 baht return trip. If I can just get a bus one way I believe I have been a winner.

So is the general consensus that it is best to book through the internet? The caveat that I put on it is as follows. If I see or hear about a place that I fancy I check the prices at both say Sawadee/Agoda and then with the hotels own web site. See who is having you on. By the way with Agoda never forget to go to the end of the booking transaction as they add something like 10/15% over all for Vat etc. As I have also pointed out you normally need not pay a deposit if you are dealing with the hotel direct whereas it needs to be paid in full before you get there on some of the booking sites. Someone here mentioned that Ratestogo.com did not do this however I found that there prices were a bit steep so the bottom line is that there are deals out there but you need to do your homework. I also noted the following earlier this year. I saw a web price lower than a direct one and got back to the hotel direct but I could not get them to lower the price to the best rate on the go. I was told, " I lose money every time someone uses that site" Ha! Go figure.

Hi there Gudge. How about some info on Pakse. I was tempted to go there as I believe that it is easy to get to Siem Reap from there. I have still got some wierd places to travel to yet!

I had a look around the PBR earlier this year and was thinking about the monthly rate. Would people care to comment on the following from their web site. Plus 7.00 baht per kilowatt hour of electricity used (average monthly electric bill is 1,800.00 baht) and 150 baht per person, per month, flat fee for water (2 people = 300.00 baht per month). A 10,000.00 baht refundable security deposit is required to move-in. The monthly rate includes: room cleaning, bottled water and fresh linen twice per week (breakfast is not included in our monthly rates). All rates quoted are in Thai Baht and based on room availability at time of booking. One month is considered thirty (30) nights. Extra nights are billed at 500.00 Baht per night - Low Season and 750.00 Baht per night - High Season. I am not sure just how good this is. Its about 22000 baht plus the extras plus 7 % (say 25k/26k) and no breakfast. If you value the breakfast at say 120/150 baht per day that makes it over 30K per month equivalent. I would also like to know, do they actually require the 10000 baht deposit in cash or it a credit card 'hold' fee?

I only wish I could have been there. This is a great crawl. I agree that it is confusing for some as some of these places are nearer Jomtien than the Darkside.

Gabor. How about dropping into the "Hole in the Wall" restaurant and doing a write up. I was taken there by a Thai girl who reckoned that this was the best food in town (for her that is) and its very low priced. Its in Soi Buakow about half way between Soi LK and Soi Diana on the other side of the road. I think some call it the "Tin Cup" for obvious reasons.

Thanks for that. Bought back some great memories of time spent in Pattaya at Loy Kratong.

Another nail in the coffin as far as I am concerned but thanks for the comments.

My daughter work for a well experienced jeweller. He says that copies are so good now that you have to take the back off to be sure.

There is a coffee bar on the side of the temporary market on the Pattaya Tai side. This seems to be popular with the expats and has great coffee and Danish pastries. I always spend time there.

I dont see it that way. By buying ahead it gives me the opportunity to lock in my accommodation at a price I want to pay and do all the homework that I want on the Internet before I step foot in the door. Also if I am dealing direct I need not pay till after the trip unlike the agencies such as Agoda that want money up front. This then also gives me the option of cancelling if I find something better. In the last month I emailed a hotel with my dates etc having first checked the rates on the internet. Sure enough he came back with an offer of a 10% reduction-about a 100baht a night. I followed up on here and found that the place was definatly not recommended by members so I said thanks but no thanks.

I agree. This is a great area. For me the best part of the area is the ease of getting there and back. Baht bus from Buakaou drops you near in Second Road near Walking Street and return bus from Second Road drops you off at Kiss on Soi Diane. The Tuesday /Friday market is perhaps the best place in Pattaya to buy just about anything. Soi Lenkee and Soi Chiapuhm also have some great food.

Perhaps the first rule is to find out the actual site that was set up by the motel as there is no chance of bargaining with second tier parties. The second is to offer them the entire length of your stay as a bargaining chip. Always check out the monthly rate. It might turn out less than going for say 20 plus days. Give them approx dates. I note that low season starts in some places March and some April for instance. Also if they are empty at the required time perhaps... Finally if it fails I always say thank you very much and that I will drop in and look at the rooms the next time I am in town. Never shut the door.

I thought that the following was of interest. Seems that the Thai floods have world wide implications. The scarcity of hard disk drives will only get worse in the coming weeks and months, according to an analyst at Piper Jaffray. "We could run out of drives by the end of November," Piper Jaffray analyst Gus Richard said in an interview Tuesday while discussing the shortage in the wake of the severe flooding in Thailand, where roughly half of the world's production of HDDs takes place. "Availability is really going to tighten up. I'm seeing prices quoted anywhere from up 10 to up 60 percent," he said. And Richard said he is not focusing on retail but canvassing the world's largest PC makers to get a read on the supply situation. "We're calling up Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo," he said. The status quo can be deceiving, he said. "Nobody seems to be really paying attention. Everyone overreacted to the disaster in Japan. And now I think they're underreacting," he said.

Well I guess that good mamasan would be looking after her girls by continuing to find them an income.

When the changes occured in September some off the girls were moved from X Zone to Relaxx and when the makeover was completed they moved back again. I automatically made the assumption that there was some management tie up here?

Good update and report Kev. Highly appreciated.

Without that startling insight I might have made a major mistake. Thanks for the wisdom!

Thanks Mick. That looks like a really interesting way to see the country.

Shambles, you have said it all and I totally agree but please dont forget that the FLB/Cherry Bar run a trip monthly as well and there is nothing quite as good as going there two days running.

Short. I have been a on a few trip this year and the 300 baht has been justified because they have gone every time with as few as 6 people. I have never got a free beer on any trip.